Beyond Bureaucracy

This book examines the role of bureaucracy in modern technologically advanced societies, the traditional models of governance, and the potential of information technology to fundamentally change and improve governance. In the area of public-domain governance, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have empowered public agencies to improve their activities and to strengthen the efficiency of their operations. Technology has enabled optimized transfer of knowledge and information between government agencies, more efficient supervision and control of relationships with citizens, and higher efficiency in law enforcement through better access to information. Throughout the last decades, technology has been used to strengthen the role of state bureaucracies and the relationship between the civil service and the citizens. We have witnessed the transformative powers of ICTs in private-sector enterprises in well-structured technological landscapes, which has produced new ecosystems comprised of software developers, providers, and consumers who provide and consume new products and services in ecosystems that are based on clear technological standards and shared modular generic artefacts, which allow for distributed peer production. ICTs will shape cultural and civic discourse and create products, services and tools, relying on the open toolsets, technologies and exchange of knowledge between peers. This book will be of particular interest to government CIOs, IT/IS managers, researchers, students, and practitioners in technical sciences, public administration, business management, public policy and IS management. 

Dr. Alois Paulin is researcher at the Vienna University of Technology focused on base technology for sustainable governance informatisation. He holds a doctor of science degree in computer science and informatics from the University of Maribor, Slovenia. His scientific bibliography contributes to the understanding of governance informatisation, e-governance unsustainability and models for sustainable governance technology building blocks. He is actively involved in the European Future Internet activites.

 Dr. Leonidas Anthopoulos is an Associate Professor at the Business School of the TEI of Thessaly, Greeece. Dr. Anthopoulos has ICT research, planning and Management experience with the development and deployment of complex ICT project for the Greek government. At his previous job positions, as an Expert Counselor at the Greek Foreign Ministry in e-Government and e-Diplomacy areas, as an ICT researcher and manager at the Research Committee of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), Municipality of Trikala (Greece) and Information Society S.A. (Greece), he was responsible for planning and managing e-government projects. Among them it worth mentioning the Smart City of Trikala (e-Trikala) project. He is the author of several articles published on prestigious scientific journals, books and international conferences. His research interests concern, among others, Smart City, e-Government, Enterprise Architecture, Social Networks, etc.

Christopher G. Reddick is a Professor of Public Administration and Department Chair at the University of Texas at San Antonio, USA. Dr. Reddick has published numerous articles and books on public administration and information technology. He is the editor of the book series Public Administration and Information Technology (Springer). Dr. Reddick also has published the textbook, Public Administration and Information Technology (Jones and Bartlett Learning). Some of his publications have appeared in leading public administration journals such as Public Administration Review, Government Information Quarterly, and Public Administration and Development.